Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a strategic bombing campaign from March 1965 to October 1968. U.S. military heavily attacked targets throughout North Vietnam They believed it would convince the North to accept South Vietnam's non-Communist government, reduce North Vietnam's ability to make and trnasport supplies, and boost morale in South Vietnam. By 1966, the campaign had already greatly expanded.
Many of Operation Rolling Thunder's goals were not achieved. North Vietnamese, with the help of China and Soviet Union, began to use surface-to-air missiles to defend themselves against the bombing raids. Hundreds of American planes were shot down by Communists. North Vietnamese leaders also began to construct tunnels and shelters and developed crews to fix damage during the night. Johnson finally halted the campaign in 1968 to pursue a negotiated settlement with the Communists. Nixon developed a new bombing campaign once Johnson left office.